About

Kumusta (a greeting in Filipino)? I’m JB, a Master’s student at the University of the Philippines, Marine Science Institute. I’m mostly interested in studying anything ecology but I’m now focused on understanding marine holobionts and the interactions among its members. I love playing around with ecological data (and teaching how to have fun working around them).

My work and research

I work on marine organisms that are partnered with microbes that use light to produce food (photosymbionts). Currently, I delve on the composition of these photosymbionts, Symbiodiniaceae, and how it affects the fitness of the whole organism (host + photosymbiont = holobiont). I also do research on other microbial associates, bacteria, to better understand how the microbiome contributes to the holobiont’s adaptation under the fast changing climate. Beyond these, I also work on topics including microalgal cultures (Symbiodiniaceae) and community ecology of environmental microbes.

My background and history

I received my B.Sc. from the University of the Philippines, Baguio and I’m currently wrapping up (hopefully) my Master’s at the University of the Philippines, Marine Science Institute. I am also a student researcher in the Marine Molecular Biology Laboratory, working on how to make hard corals hardier under the warming ocean conditions.